Passengers warned not to travel north of Newcastle

 Rail customers are being advised not to travel north of Newcastle tomorrow as the UK braces itself for Storm Floris.

An amber weather warning has been issued across much of Scotland in anticipation of the storm, which is predicted to batter the country with winds going up to 80mph.

The National Severe Weather Warning was upgraded to amber from 10am tomorrow under 10pm, while a yellow warning covering the northern half of the UK remains in place from 6am tomorrow until midnight.

The news prompted train operator LNER to advise its customers not to travel north of Newcastle tomorrow.

An alert published on its website this afternoon said: ‘Storm Floris is expected to bring strong winds and heavy rain across northern England and Scotland on Monday 4 August.

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‘The Met office have issued yellow and amber weather warnings which will disrupt various routes on the LNER network.’

It added: ‘LNER are advising that customers do not travel north of Newcastle on Monday 4 August.

‘Across the rest of the LNER network, please plan ahead and check before you travel.’

The warnings were issued because Storm Floris is forecast to be an unseasonably disruptive storm bringing very strong winds and some heavy rain across the northern half of the UK tomorrow.

Dan Suri, the Met Office’s chief meteorologist, said: ‘Much of Scotland is likely to see gusts of 50-70mph with more than 80mph on some exposed coasts, hills and bridges.

‘Western coastal areas will see the highest gusts late morning, with the strongest winds transferring to north-eastern Scotland by late afternoon.

‘Across the wider Yellow warning area, many inland areas are likely to see gusts of 40-50mph, with 60mph likely at higher elevations and around some exposed coasts.’ 

Whilst winds are the main, and most widespread hazard associated with Storm Floris, relatively high rainfall accumulations will build-up over part of north and west of Scotland where 20-30mm of rain will fall quite widely with upwards of 40-60mm over some hills and mountains.

Outside of the warning area, the rest of the UK will experience a windy day.

This may cause travel disruptions and power cuts if felled trees and debris blocks roads, railways lines or brings down power cables.

Even firms further south are warning that services may be disrupted.

Washington Carrato, from residential moving company The Man Van, which is based in London, said that the dangers of sending drivers out in stormy weather may affect his business and asked customers to be patient.

‘We send people all over the country and it can be very dangerous with trees coming down,’ he told Metro.co.uk.